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In reply to the discussion: Judge upholds Pa. voter ID law [View all]happyslug
(14,779 posts)Remember, the Judge said he would make his decision is plently of time for either side to file an appeal. If the Judge really wanted to STOP this action, all he had to do was to hold off a decision till after election day. Instead he made a decision, forcing one side to appeal. Thus the IMPORTANT decision was NOT on the constitutionality of the the Law BUT the decision to make a decision by August 15th.
As to the actual judge's ruling, the courts have ALWAYS given great deference to the state legislature in that the law PRESUMES all acts by the State Legislature are constitutional. In simple terms, the law in constitutional UNLESS it is clearly shown it is not. Thus the Judge accepted the decision of the Legislative that what it was doing meet the requirements set forth in the State Constitution. Thus the safe decision was to rule it constitutional and kick it upstairs for the Appealante courts to rule it unconstitutional.